A growing problem worldwide involves counterfeit electronic components, such as counterfeit integrated circuit chips. For example, a counterfeiter may sand off the top surface of an integrated circuit chip, cover the chip with a new top surface, print new markings on the chip, and try to pass off the chip as a new or different type of chip. This process is commonly referred to as “blacktopping” since the new top surface placed on the integrated circuit chip is typically black. As another example, a counterfeiter may remove an integrated circuit chip from a circuit board, “relead” the chip using new electrical leads, and try to pass off the chip as a new chip.
The counterfeiting of electronic components is becoming more and more sophisticated. It is therefore becoming more and more difficult to detect when electronic components being bought or sold are counterfeit. The potential monetary losses associated with buying or selling counterfeit electronic components could easily reach into the millions of dollars.
Conventional approaches for detecting counterfeit electronic components often fall into one of two categories. In the first category, human inspectors compare components to a known “good” reference component. Unfortunately, these approaches are often limited to a single inspection technique and small sample sizes, are subject to human error, and require lengthy inspection times. In the second category, internal structures of the electronic components can be analyzed using various inspection techniques. However, these approaches may result in the destruction of the components being tested and are therefore limited to small sample sizes.
As a particular example of a conventional approach, some inspection systems rely on X-ray imaging of integrated circuit chips. X-rays pass through an integrated circuit chip and are blocked by the material of the chip die itself or by the “leadframe,” which refers to a stamped metal component with pins or formed leads at one end and connections to the chip die at the other end. Differences in leadframe shape details or attachments to pins or the die can help distinguish counterfeit components from genuine components.